A Thousand Small Moments: Session 1

The MSU CFT clinic recently started a parenting booster class. In conjunction with that class I will be posting additional material related to the topics discussed for each class. For those who can't join us we hope this will be of some help.

Session 1: Emotion Coaching and Child Directed Play
In the first session we discussed some of the best first lines of action to try when your children are experiencing behavior problems. The fist topic is Emotion Coaching (Gottman, 1998). Emotion coaching is the idea that parents validate the emotions their children express through problem behaviors. When parents validate the emotions before disciplining the behavior, children feel more accepted and their behaviors decrease. The steps in Emotion Coaching are as follows:

1. Emotional Awareness:
• Be aware of your own emotions. What does it feel like to be angry, sad, frustrated, happy, excited, etc. If you are aware of your own emotions you are more likely able to recognize those emotions in your children.